A couple of weeks ago, my candidate, Joe Biden, ended his Presidential run. I was forced to make the same choice that many of you are making today. Which candidate would I choose come February 5th, primary day for much of the nation?
I chose Barack Obama, and let me tell you why.
I believe in Barack Obama's message and in his ability to get the job done. I believe that we need change and I believe in the kind of change Senator Obama espouses, and the changes are:
1-Changes in policy. For many years, we have either neglected or willfully ignored our biggest problems: more than 40 million Americans without health care, rising health care costs, global warming, the mortgage crisis, an education system that once was the envy of the world and is now falling behind at the same time the world is becoming more competitive and education is becoming more important. Who will best address these issues? I trust Barack Obama.
2-Changes in the way we are perceived in the world. Anyone who has traveled abroad (and many of those who haven't had the chance) know that the rest of the world has an unprecedented level of distrust and anger toward the U.S. They despise our President and they are baffled as to why the American people would re-elect George W. Bush. How do we change the perception of the United States? I believe it is Barack Obama who will help the U.S. regain the world's trust, which will make us a stronger, safer nation.
2-Changes in tone.
What do I mean by changes in tone? Let's go back to when the tone, the way we speak to each other, the divisiveness, really started.
It started in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1980, when Ronald Reagan (with Lee Atwater at the helm) gave his kickoff speech for his Presidential campaign. He chose to give the speech where three civil rights workers - Freedom Riders - were killed. He chose to talk about "states' rights," code for "stop the advancement of African-Americans."
It continued with Newt Gingrich, who changed the way our Congress operates. He forced out Jim Wright as speaker. He became speaker himself, and he talked of how the Left was responsible for the diseases in the world, and he said, literally, that the Left cripples human beings.
And it reached its peak with Karl Rove, who decided to divide us neighborhood by neighborhood. He targeted fear. He thrived on it. Fear of gay marriage. Fear of terrorists. Fear of those wimpy Democrats.
But I don't believe that our country is that divided. I believe that this country has been failed by its leadership.
Let me give you an example of that failed leadership:
On September 11th, after the Towers went down, there were lines of people, snaking around New York City streets, all waiting for hours to give blood. They were told that there was no more blood to give, but they did not just walk away. They stayed in those lines, and they stayed there because they wanted to do something. Do anything.
In World War II, people gave up everything for the cause: their lives, the lives of loved ones. Rationing of gas, coffee, sugar, and meat. A tax rate of a staggering 94%.
Everyone sacrificed, poor and rich alike. And now, after 9/11, this was our time, this generation's chance to be the Greatest Generation.
What did this President ask us to do?
The President said, "Go shopping." When the President made this request, I considered it an enormous insult. This is what he thinks of us - that we can do no more than shop, that we are not capable of sacrifice.
He then cut taxes for the richest Americans.
He divided the nation, in order to conquer the country for the Republican Party.
I want a President who does not appeal to our lowest common denominator. I want a President who will speak to what Abraham Lincoln called, "The better angels of our nature."
I want a President who would have used 9/11 as a chance to, yes, take it to Osama Bin Laden, but who would have brought the world together. I want a President who would have asked us to sacrifice so that we no longer send our money to the Arab dictators who then use our dollars to teach their kids to hate America.
Barack Obama is the person I want to be President. It's not just that he inspires, it's not just that he provides hope, it's that he has the wisdom, the life experience, and the heart to make the changes that I want to see.
The next President will enter office with more Democrats in the Senate than there are today. He or she will have a great opportunity to advance his agenda, our agenda.
Ask yourself this:
Of the current candidates on both sides of the aisle, which candidate would make you proudest if they were to become President of the United States?
Which candidate would best help us turn the page on the political wars of the last 28 years?
Which candidate would best put the Bush years behind us and begin a new era?
Which candidate will have an open government, and not hold secret meetings with the energy titans, with the pharmaceutical companies, or with the health care lobbyists?
Which candidate has the confidence and the will to end the era of torture and spying on American citizens?
Which candidate will speak to our better nature?
When you consider these issues, and weigh the candidates remaining on both the Democratic and Republican sides, there really is no choice, is there? Barack Obama is the best candidate to bring about the changes that we need.
We can elect Hillary and remain divided and weak, or we can choose Obama and unite the country behind a mandate for progressive change.
Whichever Dem becomes president (assuming the elctions aren't rigged again which is still a possibility with the Voter ID law currently being argued, many voting machines still under the control of Deibold and ESS and so on) is going to be automatically well recieved by many in the rest of the world. After that it will depend on policies and attitude and frankly that shouldn't be too difficult--just do the opposite of everything Bush did :D
"2-Changes in tone.
What do I mean by changes in tone? Let's go back to when the tone, the way we speak to each other, the divisiveness, really started.
It started in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1980, when Ronald Reagan (with Lee Atwater at the helm) gave his kickoff speech for his Presidential campaign. He chose to give the speech where three civil rights workers - Freedom Riders - were killed. He chose to talk about "states' rights," code for "stop the advancement of African-Americans."
It is this "tone" that Barack held up as the model presidency over the Clinton administration. Reagan had a "big vision"...revert back to the good old days of racial strife and anti civil rights,,,The idea that Barack could hold up Reagan in any degree of esteem is mind boggling. Why not hold up Hitler for being such an effective leader?
For Barack to commend Reagan over Clinton by any definition, is an affront to all Black Americans
None of this is really known here. Just as Americans have no real clue what has been done in their name in Iraq, or the still perilous idiocy of GWB telling Israel he'd attack Iran.
Americans can't see independent TV footage of the real carnage we've caused in Iraq -- but the rest of the world can. No one is allowed to photograph the returning caskets or broadcast the funerals of our soldiers.
We cluck at Brittany. The world thinks we are all Brittany: out-of-control, bi-polar, and in need of a world court to stop the insanity.
There is real fear in the world about what America has become.
Sy Hersh was the first to note -- he heard it overseas -- that an Obama presidency would give an immediate message to a fearing world that times have changed.
Lest anyone think world opinion is unimportant, consider that by 2012 if nothing is done 25 million American white-collar jobs will be in India and China. [Google it.] Those two countries will have our business secrets, engineering and scientific know-how as a result: they'll end the American contracts and produce our stuff themselves, like some are doing now. If we lose our status as the reserve currency within the year, we are a third-world behemoth.
Restoring our international reputation is as important as putting bread on the table.
Playing reruns of the Bill and Hill show in 2009 will be a needless distraction. Bill Clinton is already showing he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, and that he doesn't intend to.
Why I Chose Barack Obama over the Other Candidates.
The writer appears to be telling us..why he chose Obama...period...
And for those of you that don't believe that Matt's article explains Why He Chose Barack Obama....
Try substituting the words "Which Candidate" with the words "Barack Obama"... perhaps it will be clearer to you...
I do however think it's possible to make a choice for something...not necesarily against something else...
Here's an example ...It's midnight and all this fighting on HP has made you hungry..So you hop in your car to get food but must decide where to go...You're equidistant from Wendy's and Burger King...they both have food you like and cost about the same... But today you just feel like taking a left and not a right.. You went to Wendy's not because there was something about Burger King you didn't like..You just felt like Wendy's was the better choice today.
Good post Matt...Me too!
Why I Chose Barack Obama over the Other Candidates.
The writer appears to be telling us..why he chose obama...period...
And for those of you that don't believe that Matt's article explains Why He Chose Barack Obama....
Try substituting the words "Which Candidate" with the words "Barack Obama"... perhaps it will be clearer to you...
I think it's possible to make a choice for something...not necesarily against something else...
Here's an example ...your equidistant from Wendy's and Burger King...they both have food you like and cost about the same... But today you just feel like taking a left and not a right.. You went to Wendy's not because there was something about Burger King you didn't like..You just felt like Wendy's was the better choice today.
Good post Matt...Me too!
None of this is really known here. Just as Americans have no real clue what has been done in their name in Iraq, or the still perilous idiocy of GWB telling Israel he'd attack Iran.
Americans can't see independent TV footage of the real carnage we've caused in Iraq -- but the rest of the world can. No one is allowed to photograph the returning caskets or broadcast the funerals of our soldiers.
We cluck at Brittany. The world thinks we are all Brittany: out-of-control, bi-polar, and in need of a world court to stop the insanity.
There is real fear in the world about what America has become.
Sy Hersh was the first to note -- he heard it overseas -- that an Obama presidency would give an immediate message to a fearing world that times have changed.
Lest anyone think world opinion is unimportant, consider that by 2012 if nothing is done 25 million American white-collar jobs will be in India and China. [Google it.] Those two countries will have our business secrets, engineering and scientific know-how as a result: they'll end the American contracts and produce our stuff themselves, like some are doing now. If we lose our status as the reserve currency within the year, we are a third-world behemoth.
Restoring our international reputation is as important as putting bread on the table.
Playing reruns of the Bill and Hill show in 2009 will be a needless distraction. Bill Clinton is already showing he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, and that he doesn't intend to.
Obama seems to me more willing to work with the Republicans than against them, something else I think Hillary would attempt.
"Of the current candidates on both sides of the aisle, which candidate would make you proudest if they were to become President of the United States?"
- John Edwards.
"Which candidate would best help us turn the page on the political wars of the last 28 years?"
- John Edwards.
"Which candidate would best put the Bush years behind us and begin a new era?"
- John Edwards.
"Which candidate will have an open government, and not hold secret meetings with the energy titans, with the pharmaceutical companies, or with the health care lobbyists?"
- John Edwards.
"Which candidate has the confidence and the will to end the era of torture and spying on American citizens?"
- John Edwards.
"Which candidate will speak to our better nature? "
- John Edwards.
If he is not trustworthy on Iraq, then he is not a viable candidate nor is he worthy of the presidency, or even capable of redeeming it.
I, too, liked Biden. I was impressed with his depth of knowledge.
I listened to Obama's speech after he won Iowa, and it was motivating and inspiring. That's what I want. I didn't hear "democrat" over and over, as I do with Hillary, I heard "American".
It is forming into Hillary vs Obama. We can look back, and pick Hillary, or look ahead, and pick Obama. I want to look ahead.